HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday swept the municipal elections in Seemandhra, generating hope among its cadre of a return to the political centrestage after a decade in virtual oblivion. As expected, the Congress, which initiated Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation, drew a blank in Seemandhra, but surprised the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) by bagging a majority of municipalities in Telangana.

Of the 92 municipalities and corporations in Seemandhra, the TDP got majority in 62 civic bodies. The YSR Congress, touted to sweep the elections in Seemandhra, could get only 18, while no party was a clear winner in nine municipalities.

In Telangana, of the 53 municipalities, the Congress emerged the winner in 23. The TRS surprisingly bagged only nine, TDP seven and the BJP two municipalities. However, since the newly-elected MP and MLA too will have a say in the local polls, the final figure in the various municipalities and corporations can change when they vote on June 2, said state election commissioner P Ramakanth Reddy.

Surprising many, MIM and BJP made inroads in Telangana. While MIM bagged the majority in Bhainsa municipality in Adilabad district, the BJP won in Narayanpet municipality of Mahabubnagar district. And in an embarrassment for the TRS, the TDP secured majority in Gajwel municipality in Medak from where its party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is the Assembly candidate. The CPM got majority in Mahabubabad municipality.

Elections to 145 municipalities and corporations across the state were held on March 30 and the declaration of results was delayed because of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Elated by Seemandhra results and opening its account in Telangana as well, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu described it as a people's victory.

Incidentally, the TDP and BJP did not forge any alliance for the civic polls and cadres of both the parties are confident that the municipal election results reflect the swing in the urban and semi-urban areas of Seemandhra.

They believe that their pact would further boost their chances of victory in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, held a month after the municipality polls.

YSR Congress said it did not take the civic polls seriously. A YSR Congress spokesman said the party had focused only on Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and sounded confident of forming the government in Seemandhra after May 16.

In Telangana, both the TRS and Congress claimed victory and expressed hope of coming to power in the region.

"We did not have majority in a single municipality or corporation," said a TRS source, adding, "From a base of zero, we won eight municipalities. It's in fact a setback for the Congress as it controlled 30 municipalities and corporations and could retain only 21. The TDP too could retain only three of the over 15 civic bodies they held."

The TRS said it did not concentrate on the municipal elections as its focus was Assembly and Parliament elections.

"We even tried to get the civic and panchayati raj elections postponed," a TRS spokesman said. "These elections weren't our priority. Therefore, the success is a bonus. We are confident of a majority in the Assembly and general elections," the spokesman added. They added that the civic bodies' election results were no setback for the pink party.

For the YSR Congress, which has so far contested only in the by-polls, the municipal elections were its first real electoral test. In further twist to the fortunes of the political parties in Andhra Pradesh, the results of the elections to the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC), that were held on April 6, are to be declared by the state election commission on Tuesday morning.

While the municipal election results could be a pointer to the mood of the urban and semi-urban electorate in both Seemandhra and Telangana, the MPTC and ZPTC results could reflect the sentiment of the rural electorate in both the regions.

Nearly 1.28 lakh electorate voted in the civic polls, while 3.2 crore people exercised their franchise in the ZPTC and MPTC polls. Since the rural electorate is almost triple that of the urban voters, the YSR Congress camp is confident of doing well in the rural areas in the results to be declared on Tuesday and expects to come to power in the Seemandhra region as well as bag the majority of the 25 Lok Sabha seats there.

It has always been a given that TDP will sweep Urban area's which is their strong hold. Today there are MPTC & ZPTC poll results being declared which mostly are rural area's . if TDP does the same in MPTC/ZPTC i would say there is a fairly good chance of TDP winning in assembly and Lok sabha.